Holidays & Property in Brittany

Brittany is the western-most part of France and is one of the 22 regions of mainland France. The word ‘Brittany’ is the English name for this region, which in France is known as Bretagne. It consists of four departments: Côtes d'Armor, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine, and Morbihan.

One of the major attractions of Brittany is its coastline, which is over a thousand kilometers in length and features long sandy beaches, rugged cliffs and many wildlife areas. Although the entire region has various attractions, it is the beaches which attract the largest number of visitors, making it the second most visited area in France. Around this natural resource has developed a number of industries (including fishing and shipping), as well as a booming tourist trade. The latter has resulted in many facilities to serve visitors, from restaurants and accommodation, to many sports and entertainment facilities.

The inland area features forests (pine), open valleys and farmland (Brittany is a leading agricultural producer in France). It is much less populated and sees fewer tourists than the coastal region. For many people, the attractive landscape and the lack of fellow tourists are two of the main attractions of the inland part of Brittany. Others are the attractive architecture, with traditional homes often being made of stone (typically granite) and featuring slate roofs.

In addition to its attractions as a tourist area, many people find it an ideal region to buy property, either as a holiday home or as a permanent home abroad. Near the coast properties can be expensive, due to the demand for seaside property. However, prices drop rapidly as one moves inland (source: FPSI Property in France). In addition to houses being relatively affordable away from the coast, land is relatively cheap; properties with acres of land are not difficult to come by.

Older character properties are also in reasonable supply, typically made of granite stone and often have slate (or thatch) roofs. One can buy these in any state from ‘ruin’ to completely renovated. Although the latter is naturally more expensive, buying a property that has already been renovated at someone else’s cost is often cheaper (and certainly less stressful) than hiring builders to renovate a property in a poor state.

Although Brittany property is popular with many nationalities, it is particularly popular with the British. To begin with, the historical ties and interactions between Brittany and England, combined with the Celtic background of this region, means that Brittany is culturally closer to England than most of France. Being surrounded by water on 3 sides, with a strong fishing and shipping presence, reinforces the similarities. The weather is also an attraction, being very mild (although with a moderate amount of cloud and rain). Not least of all, the physical proximity of the two means that it is relatively cheap in terms of time and money to commute between Brittany and the UK, as compared to most other regions of France.

This has led to a substantial English speaking population in various corners of Brittany. In these areas it is not difficult to find English language tradesmen who can provide various essential services, such as renovation (source: Directory France & French Property). If you are not fluent in French but are looking to buy French property, such areas are worth considering simply for the convenience they offer.